


I Exist

by orenashii



Category: Samurai Jack (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, F/M, Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2018-11-14 03:51:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11199903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orenashii/pseuds/orenashii
Summary: Just because one ceases to exist does not mean that they never existed at all. The Gods are not through with you yet, foolish samurai.





	1. I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Status: Coming to terms with, but still not over, the finale.
> 
> I do hope you enjoy.
> 
> (Originally posted on May 21, 2017. The day after the finale!)

**I Exist**

**Chapter I**

* * *

 

Those first few weeks had been blissful.

His family had opened their arms to her and she gladly received them. He had shown her his home, the villagers were overjoyed to have their prince return. They dined together, laughed together; he showed her how to play games with the children of his empire and the best spot in his castle to watch the sun rise over the horizon. They whispered words of affection, hidden beneath sheets as their bare skin became familiar, heated.

He asked her to marry him. She agreed before the words fully left his mouth.

He had never known such peace.

 

* * *

 

He clutched her clothing in disbelief, tears freely streaming from his eyes. His mother had tried to console him but he could not feel her. All he could feel was... absence. Abandonment.

He had never known such sorrow.

 

* * *

 

He was laying in bed, on his side, away from where she would lay. Candles were lit, casting a red glow on the room. It made him feel warm.

He shivered as a long finger made a straight path down his spine. He turned over on his side, settling himself down until he was face to face with her. She was naked, a thin white sheet barely covered her waist. They smiled at one another.

"Is this a dream?"

"Not really."

He pulled the sheet down her side and touched her hip, sliding his palm up her narrow waist. She sighed in contentment.

"You feel so real," he spoke softly. She did not respond. Her hand lifted to brush strands of hair behind his ear.

"How long can you stay?"

"Not long."

His hand moved to her face where he cradled her cheek. He felt his throat constrict as his breathing began to elevate. His senses were overwhelmed. In the weeks since she had passed he'd dreamt only of her. But nothing had ever felt so solid. He could feel her, he could smell her. This was real. But it wasn't. It was impossible.

"I miss you," he whispered, his voice cracking.

Ashi smiled at him sadly. "I know." She placed a hand over his and pressed a kiss into his palm. They stayed silent for a long time, touching each other, drinking in each other's presence.

"I don't want you to worry any longer. You will see me again."

"When?" His voice was tinged with desperation.

"Sooner than you think."

His eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me that I am about to die?"

She let out a puff of air in laughter. "You wish."

He laughed at that. She reached up and ran her thumb against his bottom lip, savoring the sound. Jack opened his mouth to gently nip at her thumb. He released it slowly and placed a long kiss on her fingertip.

"Let's just say, the gods owe me a favor," she laughed quietly. "Something about sacrificing myself to help a legendary warrior fulfill his destiny. Oh, and eradicating the world of the ultimate evil."

He paused his caresses.

"You," he said slowly. "You knew? You knew you would...?" He couldn't finish the words.

"Yes."

"Then... why?"

"You already know the answer to that."

"But," he trailed off, his mind was having trouble grasping the concept. "We could have found another way. I could have saved you!"

"Oh, my love," she said softly, stroking his hair. "My whole life was spent in captivity. I never had the freedom to make my own choices. Until I met you. Until you freed me. This. This was my choice."

He couldn't respond. He didn't know how to. His jaw clenched as tears spilled from his eyes. She brushed them away.

"Do not mourn me, Jack. The time I spent with you was the only happiness I'd ever known. I don't want you to feel this way any longer."

"How can you say that?" he whispered.

"You will find your peace. You deserve it more than anyone else in this world. You will live. And one day, you will find love again."

"I don't want to _find_ love. I want yours."

"And you'll have it." She smiled slyly. "I made sure of it."

He sighed, exasperated. "How do you know this?"

She pressed her lips to his in a gentle kiss. He returned it, desperately, pressing himself into her, holding her close. He'd sooner choose death than to release her. His mouth moved to her neck, inhaling sharply, ready to drown himself in her scent.

"Jack," she breathed. "I have to go."

"No," he groaned. He held the back of her head with his hand. He could feel the softness of her hair. This was real. But it _wasn't._ This was impossible. "Please don't leave me."

"I have to. But just for a little while. I promise. I promise."

"Ashi."

"I love you, Jack."

"Ashi, no. _Please_. _Ashi._ "

 

* * *

 

Tears cascaded down Jack's cheeks as he woke up. His eyes opened, the room was dark and grey, a harsh contrast to the warmth it previously held.

He clutched at his chest, his heart so heavy he considered ripping it out to spare him the pain. He reached for her side of the bed, where she had just been, and pressed his nose into the sheets. He could no longer pick up her scent. His cries escalated.

He dragged himself out from underneath his sheets and strode to his window. He wiped the tears from his face as he gazed out onto his kingdom. The dark blue of the skies softened with the approaching dawn. He smiled slightly.

His family was safe. His people were happy. The future was no longer tainted.

Then why did his suffering continue? Why did _she_ have to suffer? She deserved the world: all of the light and beauty it could offer. She deserved happiness.

She deserved better. They both did.

He squared his jaw and set about his rooms to prepare.

Someone had some explaining to do.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, I made myself sad.
> 
> I don't know how long Ashi was with Jack before she faded from existence. The SJ wiki says the two didn't get married until years later but... where are they getting their intel? I can't see them waiting that long but maybe they did? Maybe they helped rebuild the parts of the empire Aku destroyed before sealing the deal? I don't know. It's really not important, I'm just curious.
> 
> I just know that whether they waited weeks or years, they were intimate before becoming engaged. No way they waited for that.


	2. Interlude: A Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An offering from an old and powerful friend of Jack's peaks the interest of an unknown identity.

**I Exist**

**Interlude: A Prologue**

* * *

 

 _Six weeks earlier_  

He had grown up with him. A few short years but he considered their time together invaluable. He reminisced about those times. Sweeter than the present. They had traversed his kingdom, playing pranks on the guards, sheltering themselves in the catacombs as they learned the ancient stories of the gods and his people.

Those days, he was called by a different name. This was not the friend he once knew.

For the Pharaoh, only fifteen years had passed between them.

Word had returned to him, months ago, that his old friend had made it back to his kingdom, and had struck down the nefarious Aku, fulfilling his destiny. The battle was short, at least, to everyone else's perception. 

But to his friend, a much longer depth of time had stretched. He had heard but whispers of his story, his struggle, in the subsequent months it took for the Pharaoh to travel from his kingdom to the Empire. Cursed for fifty years to wander a desolate future, battling sentient monsters made of metal; demons flooded the land. The stuff of legends, to be sure, but it all seemed so... absurd.

It was incomprehensible, that time travel could exist. That in the few moments his friend had battled Aku, he had left, lived over half a lifetime, and returned, with a woman by his side. He felt thrilled, for sure, at the announcement of the wedding. But who was this mysterious woman? She was not of this world. She existed outside of any timeline he could perceive. 

The answers had only become more muddled as he witnessed the ceremony. How she had collapsed. How his friend called out her name in anguish and worry. He watched her disappear in his friend's arms.

He sighed heavily, the memory most painful. The Pharaoh had known love, of course. He had sired many children with his Queen, the one he had been destined for. But the look on his old friend's face nearly had him questioning his own feelings. 

His friend, now called Jack, sat before a stone marker, his knees tucked underneath him. His eyes were unfocused, his consciousness in a place that could not be reached. Sorrow hung over him like a thick blanket, keeping him protected from the elements but shielding him from feeling.

How could he relate to this? The Pharaoh had never known such loss.

True love. Taken by time. Torture unimaginable. 

He looked down at his waist. He grasped the amulet held firm at the buckle of his armor. He removed it carefully, admiring the light sheen of red jasper. This was a treasure bestowed to him by his people. This was the amulet he was set to take upon his own grave. The one that would keep him protected in the afterlife.

It seemed almost selfish to hold on to it now. He was a king, his people loyal and happy. He held no fear that the gods would not favor him in the afterlife. He had hope, that which he held onto stronger, that his prayer would be heard.

He set the amulet down as close as he could to the marker, it having been taken up by flowers and other offerings from those in attendance to the wedding turned tragedy. The grave was empty, he knew to be true, but perhaps this offering could afford some comfort, some protection as her soul drifted to an unsure afterlife. He muttered a short prayer in his language, ancient and foreign to most.

At last, his eyes opened and he let out a breath. He turned to his friend who still sat, unblinking, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"I am so sorry for your loss. I pray that you may both find peace."

His friend did not look up.

 

* * *

 

 

Silence gave way to a hum. A disturbance in cosmic slumber.

Darkness. A bitter emptiness. The stars stretched in an infinite depth, one that might shatter the mind of a lesser entity. An unending cold that would reduce a mortal's bones to grit, flaking away like the dust of chalk. Yet it soothed the flaming nature of this being.

_What is this now?_

Awareness. An unknown and inconsequential amount of time had passed since it lent its conscious mind to look down at those of mortals. Interest had waned in the past millennia, doing only what was necessary for the order of the universe. But this disturbance was deliberate. Someone had called out.

A prayer. One that had not been echoed in quite some time. Eyes, for lack of a better description, for there were no eyes, opened to take in the scene. A Pharaoh, one of the few beings connected to its presence, laying down an amulet. The amulet of Tyet. An intentional beacon.

_Interesting. For a chosen one of the gods to lay down such a stone._

A deeper look was required. Confusion trickled throughout the being.

A hand on a shoulder.

"I am so sorry for your loss. I pray that you may both find peace."

The being sighed, as much as it could without a physical body. Another love lost. Tragic. But not enough to pique much interest. But then, the being wondered, why lay down the amulet?

The being looked deeper still. The grave was empty. How had she become lost? The widower was a samurai. His history read in less than the blink of an eye. An unusual sense of joy and intrigue filled the void. What a fabulous tale! A life of adventure and suffering and loneliness.

Yet a sneer appeared if there ever were one. This samurai's destiny had been predetermined in part by a true idiot of contemporaries. Justice, fairness, and _goddamned happy endings_ were not in that god's repertoire.

A gentle spark. Love and destiny fulfilled. Loss.

But, the being soon realized, this was no ordinary loss. This great love had been taken by the nature of time itself. An obvious oversight on the being's aforementioned idiot contemporary.

_Her soul... ceased to exist?_

The being smiled.

_How fascinating._

 


	3. II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Empress offers her son a way to cope with his loss.

**I Exist**

**Chapter II**

* * *

 

The Prince ate his meal slowly, in silence, the same as he had done for the past several weeks. His eyes were open but never seemed to look at anything in particular. They were unfocused, far away. Occasionally he would close them and wince as if reliving a painful memory. He'd sigh, reopen them, and continue his meal without incident.

He heard his mother and father speaking but did not care to listen closely. He could pick up on keywords here and there but usually, these conversations did not involve him. Or concern him. They tried to include him, of course, but their questions often warranted a simple answer at best. He would answer, then retreat back into his thoughts.

A word had been spoken. Then silence. He paid it no mind.

The same word. No response.

"Jack?" he heard his mother call. He looked up from his dish.

"Yes, mother?" The Emperor and Empress exchanged an uneasy glance.

"I see you are still unused to your given name," the Emperor said cautiously.

Jack felt the temperature in his cheeks increase. Though he had been home for quite some time, it still felt unnatural for him to hear his birth name. He had left his kingdom at the age of eight and left his name behind with it. Each tribe he'd traveled to, each in different lands, had all referred to him as something native to their respective language. That was what he was used to.

But being in the future for over fifty years, more than two-thirds of his life, had solidified the name 'Jack'. It was what his friends called him, his family away from family. It was what _she_ had called him.

"Forgive me, I had merely not been paying my fullest attention."

"No, no," his mother spoke, "it was our fault. We are also unused to calling you the name you prefer."

Jack offered a small smile and nodded, his gaze quickly receding back to nothing.

The Emperor sighed, longing to see his child happy once again, as he appeared so many weeks ago. He would not be so fortunate. He stood to make his way out of the room, having some business to attend to. He bowed to his queen and bid her a pleasant morning.

"Son."

The Empress did not expect an acknowledgment from him, but he surprised her with a slight nod of his head. His mother looked on with curiosity. In his silence, he appeared to be living in an impenetrable fog, yet, he was still perceptive of everything around him.

Silence hung in the air, thick as the aforementioned fog he seemed to exist in. He barely made a sound as he calmly chewed his food. At least, she thought, his appetite was returning. She had been so worried, when he did not show up for meals, or when he had merely let his food grow cold in front of him.

"Jack," she started quietly. The name felt so foreign on her tongue. He blinked, slowly, and his eyes shifted to meet hers. "I have arranged a meeting for you for later this morning. It is with one of the most respected scribes of our kingdom."

She watched his eyebrow raise but in the slightest, other than that, no tangible reaction to read. He continued the slow chewing of his food.

"She is of great intelligence. She spent most of her youth accompanying her father, an innkeeper (and quite a successful one!) as he expanded his business throughout the globe, so she is very well traveled, just like you!" She laughed a little, knowing she was rambling. She raised her tea to her lips to take a gentle sip.

"She speaks many languages and is well versed with many cultures and customs on this earth; her mind is unparalleled. She has built quite the reputation as a gifted storyteller. And such a gentle soul. You would be quite fortunate to meet her."

His chewing stopped. He swallowed.

"Is she attractive?"

The Empress reeled at the question, immediately worried at where this conversation was turning. "What do you mean?"

"Do you not think it too soon to set me up to be wed?"

A deep, audible gasp escaped her lips. Her teacup rattled on the table in her haste to set it down. This had not occurred to her. She had invited a woman to their home specifically to meet him. Of course he would believe in an ulterior motive!

She placed her hands on the table and calmed herself, her features radiating with sadness. The bitterness in his tone had morphed his voice into something she did not quite recognize.

"My son, I promise you, this is not a meeting for a consort. Your stories are so very captivating. They are those of legend. I only wanted to ensure that they were recorded properly. And she is the best."

Her son's eyes bore into her own. A grimace, made up of animosity and mistrust, had settled in the lines of his face. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"Very well. I apologize for questioning your intentions."

"It is quite alright, son."

The Empress let out a shaky exhale, hating the situation they were in. She wasn't sure how much longer she could take this, constantly walking on eggshells around her own son. Make no mistake that she missed her would-be daughter-in-law fiercely. She was such a beautiful woman. A little odd perhaps, for she was from a completely different time, but so kind and curious. And fiery. Her heart constricted in her chest at the memory.

Yet she longed for the day when they could all move on. The tragic nature of her disappearance pressed her family as a great weight, like the bulk of chains on one's chest. She yearned for freedom from all of this sadness. She knew her son was of a strong and sound mind. She'd heard from him atrocities he'd witnessed in his epic journey in a distant time. But she worried that even he could not bear this suffering for much longer.

"Perhaps," she began again. "At least, I hope, that speaking to this scribe will help ease your pain. It is always a good thing to have someone to talk to."

Jack opened his eyes again. He did not respond. He simply stood from the table, his meal unfinished, bowed quickly and walked to exit the room.

He paused at the door but did not turn to face her.

"Perhaps," he said before exiting.

 

* * *

 

 

 _"I don't want to_ find _love. I want yours."_

_"And you'll have it. I made sure of it."_

Jack sighed in mild irritation at the rapping at his door. He had just sat on his bed, leaning back into his pillows thinking of the strange dream he'd had. He felt itchy, a need to escape this palace and begin and new quest. However, now that he was back home, on the throne of his empire, travel would not be so liberal.

He was being summoned away from his den. He removed himself from his bed and exited his room, muttering a 'thank you' to the attendant at his door.

He walked to his destination, a room directly adjacent to the throne room, quietly and without haste. He slid the door open gently where his eyes found his mother. A young woman was seated next to her.

"Ah!" his mother said with nervous excitement. "You are just in time, my son. Please, sit."

He lowered himself to the floor without a word, across from his mother.

"I was just telling our guest here about your fantastical stories! Such tales! It would be good to document them, you see, so those precious memories don't fade away."

Jack could feel the forming of a sneer on his face. Her choice of words triggered an angry feeling in his gut. His mother, perceptive as ever, gasped and tried backtracking.

"I am so sorry, my son. My words have upset you."

Jack deflated and scolded himself for his feelings. It was not her fault.

"Please do not apologize. I am looking forward to meeting our guest."

The Empress smiled, if not a bit uneasily. She held out her hand to the woman seated next to her, a woman her son had barely acknowledged.

"This is Madan. Madan Kali. She has traveled far in the pursuit of knowledge. She has a real affinity for the art of the story."

Jack bowed his head and offered a quiet greeting. He took in her features as his mother continued her introduction. Stone black eyes followed him beneath thick eyelashes and even thicker, straight eyebrows. Her hair was long, dark, slightly waved.

Her mother had grown up in his empire. Her father was from India, which explained the ocherous red hue of her skin. Her oval lips widened in a smile, confident.

His mother had finished speaking. Jack quirked an eyebrow at their visitor, his interest had been piqued at her name. "Kali? As in," his thoughts trailed off, remembering a myth long past.

"It is shortened. For Mahakali. The Hindu goddess of time and death."

"Hn. Fitting."

The Empress gave her son a frigid look. "Son. I advise you to watch your tone around our guest."

Jack's eyes widened, surprised at his own behavior. He dipped his head a fraction before the woman. "I do apologize. I have not been feeling quite myself as of late."

Kali returned his bow. "Please, no apologies are necessary. I understand you have suffered a terrible tragedy. It is natural to feel the way you do."

And odd expression passed his features at her assessment. "And, the way I feel, how is that?"

"Incomplete," she said easily. "It is written in your eyes, it weighs heavily on your posture. Like a book that has been abandoned by its author."

A small smile found it's way to Jack's lips. "I am impressed. That you can be so perceptive in such a short time."

She returned her smile. "I am impressed as well. Most I encounter do not question, much less understand, the origins of my name."

The three sat in silence for a few moments before the Empress made her way to stand. "I will leave you to it, then. Son, please find me again whenever you are ready."

The quiet shushing of the door was the last sound heard before the room was plunged into silence. Jack scrutinized her while Kali sat calmly, an easy smile on her face.

"If I may," her voice interrupted the quiet. It was soft, he noticed, lacking the emotional edge his love's had held. A lilt, a voice for storytelling, indeed. "I would like to offer my condolences." Her lips turned downward in a frown.

"My family was in attendance at your wedding, but I was not. I regret that I never got to meet her."

Jack nodded slowly. "Thank you."

The conversation lulled. The silence lingered once more.

"Why?" Jack said. He hesitated, not really know where this conversation should go. "Why weren't you in attendance?"

Her smile appeared again. "My studies had brought me to the ruins of Mesoamerica. I was with a team, of archaeologists and scientists and linguists, trying to decipher the hieroglyphic texts of the Maya."

Jack's eyebrows lifted, impressed. "That sounds quite fascinating."

"It was."

The quiet was brief this time.

"But I am not here to tell my stories. I am here to listen to yours."

"Right." Jack nodded his head, still unsure of what to say.

"How did the two of you meet?"

Jack grimaced, his brief life with Ashi flashed before him with a near migraine inducing force. He quelled his emotions with a brief huff from his nostrils. His eyes opened, hardened, and stared at the scribe.

"That is not a story I am ready to tell."

Kali was taken aback. His tone had shifted. Whereas he'd been gentle, almost monotonous, his voice now carried a slight rasp, beneath its surface bubbled an unidentified emotion. It could be rage. It could be despair. It could be so much more.

"I apologize. That was rather presumptuous of me."

He did not respond. He simply nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Think of me as a vessel," she said, hoping to assuage his mood. "You are the owner of these legends. I am merely documenting them. I do not want to pressure you into disclosing anything that you are not ready to tell."

A pause. His features seemed to ease. "I have another question. It is personal, so I hope not to offend you." Her voice was quiet, apprehensive.

"It may even sound silly but... what am I to call you?"

His eyebrows lifted.

"I know you are the prince of this land. Your mother told me you have been given many names in your travels. She remarked you've had some... difficulty. With the name you were born with."

He winced. She retreated. "I'm sorry! I believe I have overstepped my boundaries once more."

He interrupted her. "No, no, it's just," he sighed, "for many years I was referred to by only one name. A title, even. It is the name I am now most familiar with. But it is one most unusual to this time."

She placed her hands on the table, fingers folded together, and leaned forward. He had her full and complete attention.

"They called me... Jack."


	4. III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The unknown identity reveals herself. Jack makes an announcement.

 

**I Exist**  

**Chapter III**

 

* * *

 

_Wake up, darling._

She did. But she couldn't. Color surrounded her, mostly darkness, indiscernible shapes, of swirling pink and purple, white dots sparkled off in the distance. Not in one direction, but in all, simultaneously. Her landscape was warped and messy. She could not wrap her head around it. 

She did not have a head with which to do so. She could detect sound, somehow, thrumming echoes that she could not identify. If she could feel nausea, she would be ill, lolling about aimlessly, trying to make sense of it all. 

"Oh, I apologize, my dear. Existing in this plane without a physical form must be terribly jarring. Do allow me to fix that." In an instant, she felt solidified, though not grounded. Her being floated above an infinite depth. Her stomach dropped, anticipating an endless fall.

It did not happen.

Her hands lifted. She was covered neck to toe in onyx. She could barely distinguish the color of her skin from the darkness of the cosmos. 

"Feeling better?"

She looked up and made contact with the source of the voice. Her eyes widened to an impossible degree.

Before her was a great being infallible. Her sepia-toned skin glowed like the sun in the darkness. Her hair was long, bone straight and cascaded down her shoulders, her breasts, to her waist. Her beauty left her stunned, almost ashamed. She looked away, feeling naked in her presence.

"Please, do not avert your gaze. I have brought you here. You are my guest."

She looked back at the being, questions spilling out of her before she could stop herself. "Who are you? Who am I?"

The being outstretched her hand and blew gently. She could not see anything, dust, a powder, nothing to warn her, but she was suddenly overwhelmed with the memories of her past.

_"Are you weak?"_

_"You are very troubled."_

_"I knew you would fail us."_

_"You are your own person."_

_"I love you."_

She clutched her stomach, overwhelmed with nausea, a bitter cold at the back of her head. The grief she felt was stifling. She wanted to scream. She would cry if she could produce tears. She remembered everything. Until her last moment. The look of utmost agony on her lover's face. She had disappeared, faded from existence. Then she had felt nothing.

Until now.

"I," she finally spoke. She took a breath as she recomposed. "I remember. I helped... change the past. I do not exist."

The being did not respond.

"But then... how am I here? _I do not exist!"_

"You exist, Ashi."

She gasped at the sound of her name. Her words faltered in awe.

"I... I am sorry... I don't understand."

Kind eyes, black yet woven with grey, outlined in a sharp, dark paint, looked down upon her. "My dear heart, a soul never truly ceases to exist. You are not the first soul to become lost due to the, if I may be blunt, _stupidity_ of the linear nature of time in the mortal realm. It just becomes much, much harder to find."

Ashi blinked, still not fully grasping the being's answer.

"Fortunately for you, I am an excellent seeker."

"Who are you?"

The being laughed, a clear sound like the ringing of a bell. "I am the friend of slaves, sinners, and the downtrodden. And you, darling, are a delightful mixture of all three."

"You seem... really excited about that," she replied nervously. She mulled over the being's words. She had been a slave, to her mother's will. Downtrodden, especially, most her life had been so cold, so unfeeling. She dwelled on the word _sinner_. She cringed. She had killed before, but it was only to protect someone else. Did her reformation not count in this being's eyes?

"You are questioning me," the being spoke.

"No! I'm just... trying to process all of this."

"There exists a great darkness in your soul. Do you mean to say that I am mistaken?"

"No!" she repeated, louder, trying to amend her thoughts. "But that darkness you see." She hesitated. "That darkness is of my father. That does not make me who I am."

"Ah. _'Why should the son not bear the punishment for the iniquity of the father?'_  and whatnot."

"What?"

"Christian ideology. Far before your time."

Ashi nodded slowly. "Alright."

"Let us just say, for all intents and purposes, that the wrongdoing you have committed can be justified as righteous acts. You are not a true sinner. At least, not a very good one," the being laughed. "Though I am curious. Is sex before marriage considered a sin in your religion?"

She flushed. "I've never really followed," she said, thinking about her cultish upbringing, "a _proper_ religion."

The being waved her hand in dismissal. "Victimless crime."

"I am sorry if this is too... forward of me, but, you still have not told me who you are."

"Where are my manners," she smiled knowingly, having already anticipated the question. "I am Mother and Wife. The patroness of magic and nature. You may call me Iset."

 

* * *

 

 

Three days passed. Jack had agreed to his mother's insistence, taking time out of each of those three days to speak with the scribe. He told her simple stories, one that did not give away too much about his own personality, of course, with the exception of how he had received his name.

He told her of the Woolies and how they had broken the bonds of their captivity.

He told her of the rogue colony of scientists and how he'd left the earth to battle among the stars.

He told her of the blind archers, one of his most difficult challenges in those early days, and the destruction of the tainted wishing well. 

Kali seemed genuinely enthralled by every tale, her crescent moon shaped eyes sparkled as she asked of details he did not even fathom to include. What was the texture of the Woolies fur? The cadence of a Chritchellite voice? How much room did he have in his space suit? Was it easy to turn his head? Did the cold have any effect on his hearing while blindfolded? Did the magic of the cursed well give off a scent?

Jack, occasionally stunned by these questions, answered them as truthfully as he could. Of course, some of the finer details had been lost to the past. Kali did not seem to mind. His tales were already stranger than fiction, her words, and small embellishments here and there would not prove deceitful or detrimental to the story.

He found that he enjoyed himself, telling Kali his tales. But the subsequent hours of the day after their sessions had him feeling restless. The vision of Ashi in his bedroom followed him like a shadow.

 

* * *

 

 

The fourth morning came along with a subtle change in his routine. He sat at the table with his mother and father, eating silently, but purposefully, almost quickly. His eyes appeared more focused, determined. His mother cleared her throat to grab his attention.

"I'm leaving," he said before she could speak.

The Empress reeled, her eyebrows slanting over her eyes in confusion. His father set his utensil down with an even expression.

"Leaving?" his mother said, her voice pitched high. "Where are you going? How long will you be gone? I thought–" The Emperor placed a hand over his queen, who sounded like she was near hysterics.

"I do not know how long I will be gone," her son answered calmly. "I have questions. And I will not be able to find the answers if I remain here."

"When will you be departing?" his father asked.

"Immediately. After breakfast."

"You are leaving today?" The Empress exclaimed. She shook her husband's hand away. "You can not! You are the prince of this land. Your people need you!"

"My people will be fine in my absence. The kindness of your rule has made sure of that."

"No!" she cried. "I forbid it! You have a duty to–"

"I have fulfilled my duty!" he shouted. His mother looked at him in shock. Her son had never raised his voice to her like this.

"My purpose had been laid out for me the day I was born. Another thing that was made sure of." His voice was heavy and sharp. "But now that my task is complete, I must find my own path."

The Empress touched her cheek, unaware that she had begun crying. Who was this man before her? Shock gripped her, suffocating her with a daunting realization. She did not know her own son.

"My son," the Emperor's soft voice cut through the tension. "I agree."

Two pairs of eyes settled on the Emperor.

"You have suffered greatly. Far be it from us to stand in the way of your destiny. You deserve the freedom to make your own choices. Your kingdom will be here whenever you decide to return."

Jack looked at him solemnly. He closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Thank you, father."

The Empress wiped the remnants of moisture from her cheeks but more tears stubbornly followed in their wake. She watched her son lift himself from their table and walk towards the door. Another sob escaped her. 

"Wait!"

Jack turned and opened his arms to his mother as she ran to embrace him in a tight hug. He returned it immediately.

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry," she cried into his chest.

"Mother," his voice cracked.

She lifted her head up and held her son's cheek. He had grown into such a strong, handsome young man. Her heart swelled with pride.

"I am sorry," she repeated, "I have been selfish. I only wanted you to stay here, with us. I've missed you so terribly, as only a mother can miss her son. But, I truly want for nothing than your happiness. If you must go, please know that I understand."

She watched as her son's lips curved up into a smile. She was elated to see it.

"Thank you, mother. I promise you will see me again."

"I will count the days."

 

* * *

 

 

The rest of the morning passed with relative ease. At long last, he was ready to take off. He bade his mother and father a final farewell. He thanked his attendant graciously for helping him prepare his horse and pack with food and supplies. He stroked the beast's mane fondly and was preparing to mount when he sensed someone behind him. 

He was half expecting his mother, for one last embrace, but he was mistaken.

"Jack?" He turned. It was Kali. 

"Oh. Hello."

"I heard you were leaving."

"Yes," he said sheepishly. He knew there was someone he forgot to tell. 

"Well, I must say, the timing is rather perfect," she said with a smile. She held up a piece of parchment, a letter, in front of her, her smile morphed into a grin. "I have been summoned."

He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. She explained. "My father needs me back home in India. We will be hosting members of the Persian military in one of our inns and we need translators."

"You speak Farsi?"

She nodded. "Once again, you impress me, Samurai Jack."

A genuine smile appeared at this use of his 'title'. She was the only one to use that name consistently. "Likewise."

"Listen, Jack," she started quietly. "I've really enjoyed listening to your stories. Have you put any more thought into my suggestion?"

His mouth slanted, remembering the conversation they'd had the previous day. She had offered to publish his stories and distribute them. He hesitated, unsure if he wanted the exposure. But she had made a good point, reasoning that the world deserved to know of its savior. He mulled over that, eventually coming to a conclusion that the world deserved to know of Ashi. 

"I am warming up to the idea."

"Well, I certainly don't need an answer right now. But whatever your decision, I would still like to remain your scribe."

He nodded in agreement. "Thank you."

"One more thing before you go," she dug around in the small pack she carried on her shoulder and pulled out a thin scroll. 

"What is this?" He asked, taking it from her. 

"Let's call it 'Chapter One' of 'The Legend of Samurai Jack'." She shrugged. "It's a working title."

He looked at the scroll in mild surprise. "You have finished it already?"

She shrugged. "More or less. I may go back and edit some of the prose here and there but I think it is in a good place. Please read it and tell me what you think."

He nodded and began to open it up. She placed a hand over his. 

"You don't have to read it right now. I am sure you are anxious to begin your journey."

"Then how are you to know my thoughts?"

"Write to me, of course." She saw his head tilt in confusion. "You forget, my family has inns dotted all over the eastern world. They will be more than happy to deliver messages for you."

She took in a breath. " _Plus_ , I have a fantastic personal courier. That is how my messages will get to you."

"But, how will this courier find me?"

"That is easy. All you need to provide is a general idea of where you are and where you are headed next."

"A general idea? That still sounds quite difficult."

"You needn't worry about that. He's very good."

Jack smiled. He bowed. 

"Thank you, Kali. I look forward to hearing of your adventures as well."

She smiled back. 

"Likewise."

 


End file.
